Fiction

The use of storytelling to explain, educate and entertain is a central façet of all human cultures. It allows specific, non-biological knowledge to be woven into complex meme-shapes and transmitted down the generations along with our genes. Almost every aspect of our identities and interactions with others are produced through mediation and the construction of fictions which we unconsciously project and interpret. This is why fiction, beyond its conventional relationship with literature, is such a powerful metaphor (look -- another fiction) for our existence, especially in the hyper-saturated mediascape that we now inhabit. The following articles take up this evocative theme in a number of striking and original ways. In our feature article, Frances Bonner writes about the curious liminal space between science fact and science fiction and the ongoing game of attraction and disavowal that occurs between the two. P. David Marshall's article deals with how public figures of various kinds (Jackie Chan and Bill Clinton) negotiate the complex media matrix of public life through an array of fictional personae. Axel Bruns analyses the legal and social fiction that is the law of copyright, revealing a history fraught with the consequences of technological change, from the introduction of cheap printing presses to the complex issues that surround digital media.Kirsty Leishman addresses the representation of an Australian identity through the intensely mediated spectacle that is the Sydney 2000 Olympic games. She analyses these competing representations in terms of Graeme Turner's theses on the narratives of Australian culture. Ben King takes us through a tale of two texts -- two films that share a name: Psycho -- as he explores the audience responses to Van Sant's shot-by-shot retelling of the same story which seeks to inform that audience of how our attitudes have changed towards violence, sexuality, and dementia. So, immerse yourself in our meme-world and discover the hidden complexities constructed deep within. And remember, if you wish to engage with our fictions more directly, and perhaps write fictions of your own, please don't hesitate to imagine a response. Citation reference for this article MLA style: Nick Caldwell. "Editorial: 'Fiction'." M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture 2.1 (1999). [your date of access] . Chicago style: Nick Caldwell, "Editorial: 'Fiction'," M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture 2, no. 1 (1999), ([your date of access]). APA style:Nick Caldwell. (1999) Editorial: 'Fiction'. M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture 2(1). ([your date of access]).